SYNOPSIS

Date: 8 August 1915. Before dawn, the Wellington Regiment, part
of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, commences an offensive to
seize Chunuk Bair, a pivotal peak overlooking Gallipoli Bay. As
inept British Generals look on from their battleships, the Regiment
captures the high ground. However, their success is only fleeting
as the Turks launch a massive counter-attack. With extraordinary
courage, the stalwart young Wellingtonians battle to hold off the
enemy, firing their rifles and those of their fallen companions
until the wood of the stock is too hot to touch.

Maurice Shadbolt was one New Zealand's most celebrated
novelists, playwrights, history-writers and storytellers and in
this rarely-performed classic, he recreates a tragic episode of
modern war: a battle that defined us as a nation. Of the 760 men
who had reached the summit, 711 had become casualties. This is
their story.

Vivid and visceral, upsetting and uplifting, Once on Chunuk Bair
is a searing tribute to the sacrifice a generation made. It is a
tale of tragedy, heroism and heartbreak and, a century after the
outbreak of World War One, stands as a masterpiece of
remembrance.

Lest we forget.

"A timely reminder of the pitfalls of fighting someone else's
war, ONCE ON CHUNUK BAIR is a rarely performed New Zealand classic.
It'll feature some of our finest young actors, directed by the
inimitable Ian Mune." Colin McColl